


The Longest Day

by shipenthusiast



Category: Memorist, 낭만닥터 김사부 2 | Dr. Romantic 2 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24569191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipenthusiast/pseuds/shipenthusiast
Summary: When Eun Jae disappears, a desperate Woo Jin enlists the help of an old friend, Detective Dong Baek and his special skills. Together, they try to get her back before time runs out.A Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 2 x Memorist crossover
Relationships: Cha Eun Jae/Seo Woo Jin, Seo Woo Jin/Cha Eun Jae
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest one shot I have written to date, I have broken it into smaller parts so its easier to read!  
> And I managed to log back into this account yey!

Woo Jin called her number again.

_The number you have dialled is currently not in service. Please try again later._

His forehead furrowed in worry, Eun Jae had driven to Seoul late last night so that she could attend a conference but there had been no word from her since she had left.

He didn't want to overthink it - she probably forgot her charger at home and her phone battery had died.

Yeah that was it, he said to himself, combing his fingers through his hair in distress while pacing up and down the room, thinking about his next move.

Dr Jung and the rest of the staff in the ER were looking on in worry because to see Dr Seo in such obvious distress was a rare sight.

He dialled Eun Jae's sister's number to ask if Eun Jae had contacted her since they usually met up when she was in town.

He had tried to sound calm but was unable to hide the tremors in his voice. Normally he was well versed in hiding his emotions - delivering bad news or asking difficult questions to his patients and their caregivers in a professional and calm tone was by now second nature. But when it came to Eun Jae, he wasn't able to hide the rising panic.

“No,” her sister had replied, “she hasn't contacted me. Is there anything wrong, you sound worried.”

“No, no,” he reassured her. “I just can't get a hold of her, she may be busy or her phone battery died.”

“Ok, I'll try calling her too, I'll let you know if i reach her.”

“Thanks noona."

Methodically going through a mental checklist, he called the hotel she was supposed to check into last night.

There were no records of her checking in. Nor was there any record of her car with the valet.

He checked with the paramedics to see if any one fitting her profile had been sent to a hospital.

None.

He called her phone again one more time just in case.

_The number you have dialled is currently not in service. Please try again later._

Anxiety stabbed him in the chest like a thousand dull knives. If anything happened to Eun Jae he didn't know how he could go on. He had already lost so many people in his life and losing her would be his breaking point.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself.

“Hi, I'd like to file a missing persons report....”


	2. Chapter 2

It was already 11am when Detective Dong Baek sauntered into the office, carrying a tray of coffees and breakfast pastries.

"Good morning everyone, isn't it such a nice day?"

No one paid him any attention and completely ignored his presence. 

He smiled and whistled a cheesy show-tune. Just another typical day at the station then, he laughed to himself.

Suddenly the phone rang and a young clerk picked up the phone.

"Good Morning, Seoul Metropolitan. How c-- y...yes sir, slow down. Can you please slow down sir? ...So I can take your name down. Wait hang on! Ok sir yes, that is a Seo Woo Jin, correct? Ok, and may I ask who is missing?”

Dong Baek's ears perked up. He had had a high school classmate with that name. 

As he eavesdropped on the conversation, he could see the young clerk become increasingly flustered as he kept getting interrupted by the person on the phone.

Dong Baek took pity on him and swiped the phone away.

"Detective Dong Baek speaking, how can I help?"

"Dong Baek?" the voice on the other line asked tentatively. "Dong Baek from high school?"

"Yup it must be me, I only know one Dong Baek. Do I know you?"

"Yes it's Seo Woo Jin, we used to hang out on the rooftop at school"

"Ahhhh hyung!!!! "I didn't recognize your voice! We never really talked when we were hanging out," he laughed.

However he turned serious almost immediately, remembering the subject at hand. "Anyway what happened?"

Woo Jin's voice shook on the phone as he talked. "My friend has been missing since last night. She left from Gangwon to Seoul but never arrived. I've called her sister, the hotel, the nearby hospitals and there's no trace of her at all. Can you help me?”  
  
He listened attentively as his old friend told him more details. He never recalled Seo Woo Jin to be so emotional. Dong Baek didn't have to make physical contact to realize the depth of emotion Woo Jin felt towards this woman. He could hear it clearly in his voice - she must be someone very special to him.   
  
"Are you free this afternoon? You can come down to the station and you can tell me more. At the same time I can read your memories and try to find any clues. I'll inform the traffic department to look for the license plate of her car and my team will look through the CCTV footage."  
  
"Oh yes, I've been seeing you on the news. You can really read memories? How come I never knew this?" Woo Jin asked disbelievingly.  
  
Dong Baek huffed. "Hyungggg, I'm really not bluffing. But only if you consent to it. I try not to read the memories of those who don't want me too."  
  
"Ok I’ll do anything," Woo Jin said desperately, "I just want to find her as soon as possible."  
  
"Ok come down as soon as you can, see you later."  
  
As soon as he put the phone down, Dong Baek alerted his team and they began to search for possible leads.  
  


\--//--

  
Seo Woo Jin hurriedly entered the police station and began to look for the office of the Telepathic Investigation team.  
  
Being naturally skeptical, he still couldn't believe that Dong Baek was able to read memories just by touching someone, but right now he had no other choice so he suspended all disbelief. He had to find his Eun Jae and hold her in his arms again. That was the only way this undercurrent of perpetual fear would dissipate. The past 16 hours had been excruciatingly difficult for him and he hadn't felt this like this since he was a little boy.  
  
He had driven like a madman over the speed limit, but at that moment, he hadn’t cared about his own safety. On his drive down to Seoul, he had doggedly and stubbornly dialled her number again and again on the off chance that someone, preferably her, picked up. If only he could hear her voice, he would gladly give up everything and anything.   
  
He imagined her picking up the phone. He could see in his mind's eye their ensuing conversation. He would yell at her for making him worry, and she would yell back, asking him why he was yelling and then they'd bicker and pretend to ignore each other at home before someone, usually her, would cave and hug him out of his sulk. He was weak to her hugs - no he was weak to her.   
  
Taking deep breaths to distract himself from the ever sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he pressed 1 on his speed dial one more time.  
  
 _The number you have dialled is currently not in service. Please try again later._  
  
The phrase rang in his ears all morning, haunting him.  
  
He stopped a random police officer to ask where he could find Detective Dong Baek and was directed to another building in the compound. He started to run, not wanting to waste any more time.  
  
He was looking around frantically for Dong Baek's familiar face when he finally entered the correct office. Running, he bumped into someone and was held up by the shoulders before he could fall.  
  
Suddenly Woo Jin felt his whole world spin and he saw snippets of his life flash before his eyes.  
  
At the same time Woo Jin saw his whole life play out like a movie, Detective Dong Baek experienced the same.

_Flashes of a happy little boy playing in the grass...a young boy crying on the ground watching his parents take their last breath....a sullen boy watching his aunt with cold eyes....two high school boys spending quiet evenings smoking on the school rooftop....being chased by gangsters....longingly looking at food he had not eaten in days....a girl running up the stairs carrying books....her warm eyes and beautiful smile....their quiet nights spent in bed, their sensuous kisses...their last hug before she got into the car...._

Not only did he see his old friend's life play out, Woo Jin's thoughts and his feelings during every moment was perfectly felt by Dong Baek.

_The agony of losing his parents... the sharp pain of hunger mixed with the despair of having no money to pay for his next meal... the sudden thump in his chest at seeing her smile...the longing, the lust, the worry, the happiness when being with her....the suffering he was now going through knowing she was somewhere out there alone...._

As both men stood frozen in the middle of the room, tears could be seen freely falling from both their closed eyes.

Overwhelmed by his friend’s emotions, Dong Baek suddenly let go. Woo Jin startled and jumped backwards from the strange phenomenon of someone peering into his brain.  
  
He turned wide and wary eyes towards Dong Baek, belatedly realizing it was him that had prevented him from falling.  
  
"What the hell was that?" he asked angrily.  
  
Dong Baek looked at him sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.  
  
"Sorry hyung, it just happened when I tried to stop you from falling. When I make physical contact, the memories and feelings flow. I can usually control it but when the emotions are too strong, it's like a flood."  
  
He sheepishly smiled again in remorse.  
  
"Don't worry though, all your secrets are safe with me."  
  
"What did you see?" Woo Jin narrowed his eyes suspiciously.   
  
"Just flashes, nothing much,” he shrugged, brushing it off.

Before things could turn awkward, Dong Baek stood up to his full height and assumed a business like tone. "Hyung, I'll take you to the interview room where I can read your memories more methodically to see if there are things that you can’t recall"  
  
Woo Jin just looked at him curiously but didn’t say anything. As they walked to the back of the office, Dong Baek glanced up at Woo Jin.  
  
"Daebak hyung, you grew really tall."


	3. Chapter 3

Before they could enter the private room, his assistant ran towards them, huffing and breathless.  
  
"Dong Baek hyung! Hyung! We found the car!"  
  
Both Dong Baek and Woo Jin looked at each other before Dong Baek started running towards the monitoring room, Woo Jin following closely behind.  
  
Superintendent Han Sun Mi was already there, standing in the middle of the room, analyzing the CCTV clips.  
  
"Ok everyone, pay attention. Based on this camera footage, the car was last seen going straight at 11 pm from this intersection. At the next intersection, we don’t see the car anymore, even if we look at multiple time stamps. There are no alternative paths in between so we can assume that the car stopped along the road.”

Everyone in the room nodded along to her explanation.  
  
She pressed a button on her phone and put it to her ear.  
  
"Ground team, have you spotted the car?"

"Yes boss, there is a black car parked at the side of the road across a bus stop with the door left unlocked. There are belongings still inside - there’s luggage, papers and a purse that are still all here, untouched."  
  
Woo Jin stared at the screen, watching the car cross the intersection on replay.  
  
"Yes!” he yelled out, pointing, "that's her car!"  
  
Dong Baek held him back from running towards the Superintendent.   
  
Superintendent Han, upon hearing his voice, turned around to acknowledge him. She nodded to him before again speaking into the phone.  
  
"Ground staff, can you turn on your camera so we can correctly identify the belongings and the car. We have someone here who can verify."  
  
As the contents of Eun Jae's car were made visible onscreen, he nodded in response, forehead furrowing in worry.

_It was definitely her car, but where was she?_   
  
Upon hearing the confirmation, Dong Baek turned to the analysts seated to his right.  
  
"Mija, can you locate the last location of her phone? Bong Gook, check all the buses that passed through between 11-1am at this bus stop to see if there is anything that we can trace through their dashcams. Hurry!"  
  
They nodded immediately and got to work.

\--//--

So far, it had been 24 hours of pure torture. But after hours of waiting and worrying, there she was onscreen, in her full glory. Luckily, she had been captured on one of the bus’ dash cams.

Seeing her alive and breathing made his heart feel a little less heavy.

He stood fixated, staring, struck by her countenance. He hungrily traced her features and compared it to his vivid memories of her – the color of her eyes, the shape of her eyebrows, the curve of her cheek, the strand of hair that always fell on her forehead that he loved to tuck behind her ear.

They watched onscreen as she ran in front of the bus to help a girl who had fainted as she was walking across the street. He watched as she performed her due diligence as a doctor and went through the motions with her in his head – he saw her check for a pulse, check for a breath and watched her perform CPR. They watched as a man, likely the bus driver, with several passengers, ran up to them. Her visage became obscured by the bystanders and that was the last he saw of her before the video cut off.

“Is there any more? What happened next?” he asked, distress written all over his face.

_It wasn’t enough, It’s not enough, it will never be enough._

\--//--

They had found her possible location.

He sat staring ahead, unable to contemplate the fact that they finally had had a breakthrough. Dong Baek had somehow extrapolated it from one of his passing memories after looking through his mind again. He didn't deign to understand but he wanted to hope, and he really _really_ wanted to believe.

His mind was blank except for one thought that ran through his head like a continuous marquee.  
 _  
If I see her again, will she still be alive?_   
  
He had not slept in 48 hours, and had not left the police station. He was wearing the same scrubs he had worn when he first found out she was missing. He hadn't eaten either, unable to stomach anything except for sips of water.  
  
Everyone from the investigation team was working overtime to locate Eun Jae, and he was grateful for their efforts. They tried to appear calm but he could tell from their eyes and the frantic way they worked that they were working against the clock.  
  
Why? Because they had found out that she was just the latest in a series of disappearances.

All had the same profile. Tall, pale, slender and beautiful.  
He had seen the photos of the other girls that had disappeared. They all bore a resemblance to each other.

_And all of them had died_.

His heart dropped to his stomach when he heard that, shuddering in fear at the thought of his Eun Jae…oh he couldn’t bear to think of it.  
  
He felt like he was slowly losing control over his reality, the floor beneath him about to give out.

All his life, he had refused to become close with anyone, refused to let anyone into his heart because they all inevitably left him. Even his aunt couldn't handle him eventually and had kicked him out of her home at the age of 16. Now, he was on the verge of losing his most precious person - the sun to his moon, the one person he couldn't live without.

The team was suiting up and gearing up to go on site. All around him, detectives were wearing their protective gear and checking that their pistols had bullets.

But all throughout the chaos, he just sat perfectly still, still staring straight ahead.  
  
Dong Baek looked over at Woo Jin worriedly. He had told his assistant to find a place for Woo Jin to rest, but he had refused. They had placed food and drinks in front of him on the table but Woo Jin had not touched any of it.

When he told Woo Jin about the team going on site, he had reanimated, demanding to come along.

Superintendent Han had immediately refused, and there was a period of silence as they glared at each other, fighting a silent battle of wills.

She had looked away first, sighing.   
  
"Ok, you can come but you better not interfere. Dong Baek, you're in charge of him."  
  
Dong Baek had carefully sidled up to him and asked, "Hyung, are you sure you will be ok? This isn't like the operating room where you can control everything. I can't guarantee a good result."  
  
"Neither can I when I operate. But when you have faith in your skills, the rest will fall into place." he turned to Dong Baek and looked him in the eye. "And I have faith in you Dong Baek."  
  
"I won't let you down Hyung, we will find her. And we will find her alive.”  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Dong Baek and his team quietly infiltrated the abandoned farmhouse that was the closest location to where her phone last pinged and where most of their evidence pointed to.

With their guns cocked, they inched deeper underground until the faint sounds of movement and soft echoes grew into audible voices. He looked down to see a trail of blood and signs of someone having been dragged and he immediately signalled for the others to move faster.  
  
Time was of the essence. He had someone counting on him.  
  
The smell of incense permeated the air and began to grow thicker around them, making the air around them smell sickly sweet. They paused when they heard, then saw, a stately old man in priestly robes repeatedly chanting,

_Blessed eternal life...blessed eternal life_

Beside him was a larger man twice his size, sprinkling water unto several objects on what appeared to be an altar. What objects they were he couldn't see clearly.

The two were deep in their meditation and thus were not aware that they were now surrounded.  
  
Dong Baek gave the go ahead for his men to capture, but not to kill. He would catch this serial killer once and for all and take great pleasure in forcibly reading all his memories to find evidence for his previous murders and make him pay for his sins.  
  
While his team closed in on the suspects, he broke away from the group to further investigate, slowly walking towards a smaller corridor off to the side of the large room. He paused momentarily when he heard a woman sobbing.

He quickly followed the sound and opened the door, only to find numerous small live CCTV feeds flickering on a television screen. It looked to be some sort of central control room.

He froze in horror at what he saw - instead of just one, there were two women housed in two different cells. One was cowering in the corner of the room, one ankle chained to the foot of the bed, while the woman on the other screen lay face up on the bed, glassy eyes staring at the ceiling, very bloody and very much lifeless.

He wasn’t able to clearly see the faces of the two women but he prayed to all the gods that the one he was looking for was the one who was still breathing.

Woo Jin was coming with the backup team, the safest place he had deemed him to be as he was insistent on coming along for the operation.

If he saw her dead body...Dong Baek didn't even want to imagine it.  
  
But before he could even leave the room, he was violently shoved to the side by none other than Woo Jin himself who had run towards the television screen to peer closely at the woman who was sobbing. He watched Woo Jin’s head swivel back and forth between the two screens and saw his expression twist into horror and confusion when he realized that the other woman was not moving.

The very next second he was careening after Woo Jin down the dark corridor - the crazed man opening every door he could find, desperately searching for the woman he had admitted he loved wholeheartedly when they were conversing in the station during the wee hours of last night.

Which is why Dong Baek sincerely wished this story had a happy ending. For never in his life had he seen his friend in such turmoil, and he could relate to the emotions for he too had lost his first love back in high school.  
  
"Woo Jin!" he yelled after him, "slow down!"  
  
Woo Jin continued to run and open doors frantically, seemingly deaf to Dong Baek’s calls.  
  
He saw Woo Jin stop abruptly and yell out in anguish.

\--//--

"Cha Eun Jae!!! Eun Jae ya, Eun Jae!"  
  
Dong Baek sprinted after him and stopped behind Woo Jin, his heart thudding in dread.

Woo Jin stood frozen, openly staring into the dimly lit room.  
  
He then ran into the room and gathered the girl cowering by the corner into his arms. When Dong Baek saw her face, he recognized Eun Jae from Woo Jin's memories.

He smiled to himself and sighed in relief, his stuttering heart beating rhythmically once again upon seeing them finally reunited.  
  
He observed the serenity of the moment - Woo Jin crying silent tears as he stroked her hair. He watched as he cupped both her cheeks and tenderly wiped away her tears with his thumbs. He saw the smile slowly bloom on her soot covered face as she opened her eyes to find her saviour in front of her.  
  
He turned away so they could have this moment to themselves, making his way back to the center of the room where his team was no doubt holding the prisoners.

"Woo Jin, Woo Jin," Eun Jae sobbed into his arms, "is it really you?"  
  
Woo Jin couldn’t say anything, he was crying too hard to even utter a single word. He just continued to hold her tightly in his arms, savouring the sound of her voice, the warmth of her body; he inhaled her familiar scent – his senses overwhelmed by her. He committed everything again to memory, unwilling to let her go for fear she would disappear.  
  
Eun Jae tried to pull away but Woo Jin pulled her even closer to him. He murmured soothing sounds as he stroked her hair to calm her down, letting her know through his touch that she was safe, that he was here and no one could hurt her anymore.  
  
He held her close until she stopped crying. When he finally pulled away to look at her, he noticed that she was dirty, wearing a nightdress that covered her from her neck all the way down to her ankles. The originally white dress was covered in dirt, grime and to his horror, blood.

His expression turned clinical for a moment to survey her injuries and he suddenly found his words. He took quick stock of the cuts and bruises on her arms and the abrasion around her ankle where the cuffs were chafing her delicate skin.

"Eun Jae ya, Eun Jae, please tell me you are ok. Please tell me you aren't hurt," he asked desperately.  
  
He watched as amazement bloomed on her dirt covered face upon hearing him speak.  
  
"It's really you Woo Jin. It's really you, you’re really here. I’m not imagining you,” she said in awe, continuing to stare at his face.  
  
"I'm here and I will never ever let you leave my sight again. You have no idea how much I’ve worried about you, and I can’t even begin to imagine how scared you must have been. Eun Jae, I love you, I love you so much,” he said, his voice saturated with emotion as he took her into his arms once again.

“I knew you would come. I kept imagining you save me. And here you are, you’re really here, you really came.”

"Eun Jae, look into my eyes and answer me honestly. Are you hurt anywhere else? Anywhere else I can't see?" he implored.

She knew what he was asking.  
  
She bowed her head down and shook her head. Woo Jin sighed in obvious relief to know her dignity remained intact. But her head remained bowed.  
  
He tilted her chin up. "What's wrong Eun Jae, look at me"  
  
She started to tear up again and whispered. "Woo Jin, I--I couldn't help her, I couldn't help Soo Bin... i heard her screams. I tried to get to her but they chained me to the bed … Is she ok?"

It was Woo Jin’s turn to bow his head as he shook his head in the negative. “I’m so sorry Eun Jae, I’m so so so sorry I couldn’t get here in time”

The tears that were on the verge of falling started to flow down her cheeks in rivulets.

“It’s my fault Woo Jin, it’s my fault she’s dead, I couldn’t save her” she whispered in abject horror.

_My brave Eun Jae, my very very brave Eun Jae. I can’t even begin to imagine what you were feeling and what horrors you went through._

“Shh,” he hugged her again, “None of this is your fault. The only to blame are those psychopaths,” he added angrily, his eyes flashing.

Eun Jae shuddered in fear at the mention of her kidnappers.

“Don’t worry Eun Jae, the police have captured them. They will rot in jail and never see the light of day again.”

\--//--

Dong Baek found his team, looking on in growing horror as they reported that the larger man had run off and had disappeared. Superintendent Han and a few others were currently in the midst of hunting him down. In their custody was only one prisoner, the old man currently sneering at him.

“You think you have saved the girl? You think just because you can save one, there won’t be others? Our mission has only begun…”

Furious, he punched the old man unconscious, unable to hold back his pure hatred for this disgusting creature.

He lightly touched the arms and shoulders of his fellow detectives to try and find out where the other suspect and Superintendent Han had run off to. In his mind’s eye, he saw them run in the direction from where he had come from, and he briefly saw the large man secretly hiding a hammer in his robes before running towards a dark corridor.

_Shit, he was armed! Was there another passage that he didn’t notice?_

He quickly let go and ran back towards where Woo Jin was, the heavy feeling in his chest back.

\--//--

Woo Jin was in the midst of trying to break the cuff holding Eun Jae’s ankle to the bed with a small jagged rock he had found under the bed when she suddenly gasped in terror. He glanced behind warily only to see a large silhouette blocking the entrance to the room.

“The master wants you to be cleansed,” the man chanted monotonously as if in a trance. “You will need to die…”

The figure slowly advanced, and in his hand he wielded a large ceremonial hammer that was poised for descent.

Woo Jin uncurled himself and started to stand up so he could try and fight off the man before he got any closer, but Eun Jae pulled him back, shaking her head, looking up at him with fear in her eyes. He was torn between shielding her from seeing the man versus protecting her by trying to fight him off and having her witness the exchange.

As the figure drew even closer, he curled his fist around the rock in his hand, sweat dripping from his forehead as he waited with baited breath. Time slowed down as he became more aware of his surroundings.

His plan was to try and slow down the man by smashing the rock into his face. Unfortunately they couldn’t escape because Eun Jae was still chained to the bed and so his best bet was to knock him unconscious.

Before Eun Jae could hold him back, he turned, still crouching and ran headlong into the man, using his body weight to tackle him to the floor. They wrestled on the ground, Woo Jin managing to punch the man in the face with the rock, but even with blood running freely down his forehead from a large gash, the man wasn’t slowed down at all.

Being the smaller one, Woo Jin was quickly overwhelmed – prone on the ground with the man above him, Woo Jin using both hands to block the hammer’s fall, the rock long forgotten as he defended himself. The man’s other hand was around his neck, choking him. He could hear Eun Jae crying and struggling to get to him but they were too far away and she was hampered by the length of the chain.

As he watched the hammer descend towards him in slow motion, his breaths becoming shallower, his vision slowly dimming, he said a silent prayer.

_If I die today, please keep Eun Jae safe, please let her live a long life, please let her be happy._

Suddenly a loud voice yelled “Freeze!”

Startled, the large man surprisingly did pause, turning his head to where the voice came from. His chokehold momentarily loosened and Woo Jin gasped, able to take a deep breath.

Dong Baek stood with Superintendent Han at the foot of the door, her gun pointed towards the man on top of Woo Jin.

“Don’t even try, or I’m going to shoot you,” said Superintendent Han commandingly.

Dong Baek gave her a sidelong glance and whispered, “Let me handle this boss.”

“Chang Su Mo, you don’t have to become a murderer. I know that the bastard outside was blackmailing you and just using you to clean up his mess. If you put the hammer on the floor and stand down, I promise you that he will pay for all his crimes and your sentence will be lighter.”

Superintendent Han Sun Mi looked at Dong Baek like he had grown a second head.

She started to whisper fiercely, “Dong Baek, what the hell are you doing. He is about to kill your friend and you are lying to him?!”

Dong Baek continued to inch forward, his arms out in a placating motion, Superintendent Han behind him.

“I need to read his memories because when I punched the cult leader earlier, there were gaps in his memories, as if he was drugged! Whether voluntarily or by force, I need to check if we are missing anything, or else we won’t be able to solve this case!” he whispered back just as fiercely, turning his head to glare at her.

She glared right back at him.

Those few precious seconds were detrimental as the man started tightened his grip on Woo Jin’s throat when he again started to struggle out of his grasp. As the two men wrestled on the floor, Eun Jae started to sob once more.

“Too late for that Dong Baek.” Sun Mi said, shooting the suspect point blank in the chest.

But unfortunately for them, because he was so large, it did not bring him down like they expected. The man started to swing his hammer wildly, Dong Baek evading for a time until he was swiped in the arm, toppling him over.

Woo Jin continued to resist beneath him and managed to break free. With a newfound surge of adrenaline, knocked the man down, the hammer falling from his hand. They started to wrestle again, Woo Jin able to land a few punches before getting knocked over to the floor once again after a timely hit to his head.

He stopped moving. Dong Baek yelled out. Eun Jae screamed.

Sun Mi, with all the movement, could not find the chance to safely shoot. If she pulled the trigger, there was a high chance she would hit Woo Jin and she didn’t want to take the chance. So when Woo Jin was finally down, she didn’t hesitate any longer and took the shot, not once, not twice, but three times, just to ensure that the man stayed down.

All watched as the man toppled over on top of Woo Jin, a resounding thud as he hit the ground, and silence descended.

Dong Baek raced forward, and with the help of Sun Mi pushed the man aside to reveal a very much alive Woo Jin, blood dripping from his nose, his right eye swollen shut, struggling to breathe.

“God, he’s heavy,” Dong Baek commented. When he saw Woo Jin blinking up at him, he smiled in relief. “Hyunggg, you are one lucky bastard.”

Woo Jin could only give him a small crooked grin back, still gasping for air.

Eun Jae was still crying.

“Eun Jae ya,” Woo Jin began hoarsely, “I’m ok. I’m ok”

Dong Baek turned to Sun Mi as he helped Woo Jin sit up, “Boss, can you break the cuff on her ankle?”

Woo Jin pushed Dong Baek’s hands away, determined to sit up by himself. Not even thinking about himself, once upright, he staggered to Eun Jae’s side and cupped her cheeks.

“I’m alive, you are alive. We are both alive. It’s okay. You can stop crying now.”

Once Eun Jae’s ankle was freed, he pulled her up slowly and positioned himself to carry her. She shook her head, “I can walk, and besides, you’re injured too.”

Dong Baek and Sun Mi looked at the two fondly, amazed at their consideration for each other.

Slowly they walked out of the room, Eun Jae and Woo Jin holding each other up. Woo Jin saw that her ankle was tender and she was struggling to bear weight on it, so without asking her, he bent forward and hiked her up his back.

They ascended back towards the surface like that, Woo Jin piggy-backing Eun Jae. While they walked, Eun Jae buried her face in his neck and inhaled deeply. She was finally home, here, in his arms.

Woo Jin noticed and began to murmur softly, trying to ease her tension.

“Just like old times, right Eun Jae? I’m always carrying you on my back.”

When they finally left the farmhouse, sunrise was breaking through the clouds.


	5. Chapter 5

They were currently sitting on a sofa at the police station, Eun Jae’s head comfortably perched on Woo Jin’s shoulder as he wrapped one arm around her. They had brought her back here after the paramedics had tended to both their superficial wounds and given them a quick check-up because she was required to make a police statement.

But she had fallen asleep in the car on the way due to exhaustion and nobody had the heart to wake her up. He had even carried her bridal style into the office and had manoeuvred her into a seated position once he was on the couch but despite all the jostling, she remained blissfully asleep and unaware. He listened to her soft snores, comforted by the familiar sounds and her calm, even breathing.

He turned to look at her pale face, tracing her features for the thousandth time that day. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t put into words the overwhelming surge of protectiveness he felt towards her - he didn’t even want to go to the toilet, or even close his eyes to rest because he just didn’t want to have her out of his sight.

Superintendent Han, Dong Baek and the rest of the staff urged him to take care of himself as well but he had stubbornly refused, even when they had offered to watch over her. He was like a guard dog shielding her from the world, snarling whenever someone came close.

After several hours, Dong Baek warily approached him again, pleading. “Hyung please, she is safe now. You are safe now. If you’re not going to wake her up, at least you should rest too. Sun Mi has talked to the Chief of Police, and he has allowed for Eun Jae’s statement to be delayed.”

Woo Jin turned to him skeptically, eyes narrowed.

That was more reaction than he got the previous attempts so he tried to push farther.

“Besides, you look like a serial killer yourself. At least let me get an icepack for your eye. And hyung, you really REALLY stink.”

\--//--

She was seated on a chair, Superintendent Han in front of her out in the open office. Although it was meant to be private, Eun Jae refused to enter the small dark interrogation room and never once let go of Woo Jin’s hand.

In a calm determined voice, Eun Jae recounted the events preceding her kidnapping.

“I saw a girl faint on the crosswalk as she was walking. There was a bus coming and I wasn’t sure if the driver had seen her fall so I stopped the car by the side of the road and quickly ran to check on her.”

The rest nodded, her story consistent with the footage from the cameras.

“When I got to her, she wasn’t breathing, and she didn’t have a pulse, but luckily some passengers from the bus saw me when they alighted so they came over to help. We carried her to the sidewalk to perform first aid. Someone knew how to do CPR so they took over while I surveyed her for other injuries. When I looked at her arms, I saw bruises on her wrists, which I thought were highly unusual. In her hands there was a piece of paper with a phone number, and I thought maybe that was her guardian? So I dialled it.”

She paused, and Woo Jin squeezed her hand in support.

“A man answered, asking me where I was and so I told him. I thought that it was her guardian…” At first her voice was steady, but it began to tremble.

“I told him that the ambulance was coming soon and that I’d stay to wait for it until both him and the paramedics arrived.”

“I then told the other bystanders not to worry, they could go since her guardian and the ambulance would be arriving soon, and she was breathing again. As soon as they had left, the large man appeared and before I knew it, I had woken up in the farmhouse, in a nightdress, locked in a dark room.”

Eun Jae’s eyes were glassy and unfocused as she went into detail about her ordeal.

“I could hear someone sobbing in the next room. There was a little hole in the wall so I tried to comfort her through it. Her name was Soo Bin, and she had been there for 4 days already. In both our rooms, there was a speaker, with a voice chanting and chanting.”

Woo Jin wrapped his arms around her as tears fell from her eyes.

“The same man entered and said that I had to listen to the chanting because there would be a test. And if I failed the test, I would die…”

She shuddered, covering her ears with both hands and shutting her eyes tightly.

“I can still hear that chanting in my head, it won’t go away! Woo Jin, it won’t go away, make it go away!”

Woo Jin embraced her tighter, patting her back, making tender soothing sounds.

His eyebrows furrowed, he turned steely eyes at Dong Baek and Superintendent Han.

“That’s enough. She’s been through enough. You already know what happens next. I’m taking her home.”

And with that, Seo Woo Jin, like a knight in shining armour, swept Eun Jae up into his arms and marched out of the room.

\--//--

It was six months after the horrifying ordeal, and things had gotten back to almost normal.

Eun Jae was still jittery and would jump when suddenly approached. Although she repeatedly told everyone she was ok, there were things she stopped doing – one of them being driving alone.

She didn’t explicitly mention anything, but Woo Jin being Woo Jin knew her very well, and had made it mandatory that someone be with her in the car at all times, the unspoken gratefulness in her eyes enough for him to know that he had made the right decision.

They were now driving to Seoul along a beautiful highway lined with trees turning different shades of autumn colors. It was a lovely day to visit friends, and that was exactly what they were planning to do.

Eun Jae had wanted to meet Dong Baek and the team that had saved her life and give them her proper thanks and gratitude.

Back then, after giving her statement to the police, Woo Jin had immediately whisked her back to Gangwon to rest and recuperate away from the reporters and prying eyes of the public. At that time, she didn’t register anyone around her except for Woo Jin.

Her case was highly publicized as she had been the sole survivor of a string of murderous attacks on young women. The perpetrator, a high ranking cult official with ties to many prominent companies and powerful figures, made the story even juicier to the public.

Woo Jin knew she wasn’t in the proper mental state to face anyone and so he had asked for urgent leave for the both of them, secluding themselves in their home for the last few months so that he could care for Eun Jae both mentally and physically.

It was hard at first and there were days when Woo Jin was up to his ears in frustration at her stubbornness. Eun Jae had clammed up, refusing to say anything, telling him she was ok because why would she want to discuss her weaknesses? If she talked about what happened again, she would have to think about it, and if she had to think about it, she wouldn’t be able to function.

But above all, Woo Jin was patient. He gave her ample space to heal, his silent and unwavering support a pillar for her to lean on. He would do anything for her, and if he had to wait again, he told himself, he would do so without hesitation.

She wasn’t fully healed yet, and he wouldn’t truly know if she would ever, knowing that she would bear the scars from this trauma for a long time to come.

Sometimes he noted, she would wake up shouting and crying, limbs thrashing in bed from terror. She would wake up drenched in sweat and he would hug and sooth her then, stroking her hair until she fell back asleep.

Her nightmares were his nightmares too – sometimes it would be him waking up with the profound feeling of loss, and would quickly look for her to make sure that she was still next to him.

But he promised to himself that they would always be together, leaning on each other for support, healing through each other’s love.

Another reason they were driving down to Seoul to visit the station was because Eun Jae had agreed to be the witness in the cult leader’s trial and they had to discuss about the proceedings. Of course she had initial reservations, but with Woo Jin’s support, she was resolved to speak so that she could help the women unlucky enough to have fallen victim to their misdeeds, and put him in jail forever.

Woo Jin was smiling to himself, listening to Eun Jae humming along to the music on the radio. He was happy when she was happy.

Eun Jae glanced at him sideways, noting the grin he was sporting.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just thinking to myself.”

“About what? she continued curiously.

“Just imagining the reactions of the staff at the police station when we unload all those cakes, donuts, pastries and drinks you have in the trunk for them.”

She laughed, “can’t I show my gratitude?”

“There are healthier ways to show it babe, Dong Baek isn’t getting any skinnier”

Eun Jae smiled, “I’m glad you got to reconnect with your friend, even if the circumstances were...what they were. I still can’t believe he can read memories, do you think my sister could meet him? She’s a neurologist and she would be so ecstatic to meet such a man.”

She continued her musings, “Does that mean he knows everything about a person after he touches them? Maybe I can ask him all the embarrassing things you never wanted me to know!”

“Don’t even try it,” he narrowed his eyes.

“From the way you talk about him, he sounds like quite the personality. I can’t wait to properly meet him.”

“Someone sounds smitten…” he said teasingly.

“Of course, who wouldn’t be?” she grinned, eyes sparkling in merriment, “he’s a rare breed indeed, where else can you meet a man able to read you inside and out and know all your thoughts and feelings without having to even say anything. Where, hmm? Hmm?.”

Woo Jin smiled and didn’t reply, glancing instead at the side mirror as he shifted lanes.

_You have one right here._

_\--//--_

The office was quiet when they arrived, but quickly became a hub of activity and chatter when they saw who the visitors were.

Dong Baek was speaking to one of his subordinates when he heard the visitors’ voices and glanced up.

“Dong Baek ah!”

“Hyungggg!” he sang back, walking over to greet Woo Jin. They shook hands then he turned to Woo Jin’s companion.

Beside Woo Jin was a rosy cheeked, healthy looking Eun Jae. She had a big dazzling smile on her face directed at him and Dong Baek felt his face flush at the attention.

He had always been shy around beautiful women, and Eun Jae was no exception.

Now that he had a closer look at her, she was tall and stood eye to eye with him. She was wearing a white sundress with her long brown hair loose around her shoulders. She was beautiful, no wonder his friend was so in love with her.

He wanted to shake her hand as well and introduce himself properly but his mouth didn’t want to work, his words disintegrating at the tip of his tongue.

Woo Jin saw Dong Baek swooning and grinned; Dong Baek’s close team members had told him about his interactions with women and it had made him laugh. His friend was a hopeless case, good thing he had Superintendent Han.

Suddenly, Eun Jae placed the boxes down on the table and enveloped Dong Baek into a hug. Woo Jin watched as Dong Baek’s ears turned a deep shade of red, and he started to laugh out loud.

Still beaming, Eun Jae initiated the handshake and introductions.

“Hi Detective Dong Baek, I’ve heard a lot about you from Woo Jin here. Since we were never really properly introduced, I am Cha Eun Jae, the girl you saved months back. I am eternally grateful for yours’ and Superintendent Han’s help and I owe you my life.”

Dong Baek could only nod in response, too shy to do anything else.

Woo Jin was still laughing when he clapped Dong Baek on the shoulder.

“Eun Jae here really really wanted to meet you and your team. She brought enough snacks to feed everyone for days.”

Eun Jae walked around the room, thanking everyone personally, charming all the staff and bedazzling all the males, including the young analyst whose crush on the superintendent was well known.

Woo Jin and Dong Baek stood at the sidelines, watching. Dong Baek glanced up at Woo Jin who was busy watching Eun Jae with a proud grin on his face.

“I’m glad your story has a happy ending Hyung.”

“It’ll be even happier when I ask her to marry me later,” he quipped, his eyes never leaving Eun Jae as he tracked her path around the room.

She was now happily chatting with Sun Mi, smiling and laughing like old friends.

“If she says no, can you introduce me?” Dong Baek asked, eyes sparkling in mirth.

Woo Jin none too gently whacked Dong Baek on the side of the head. Both men started laughing, enjoying the easy going camaraderie between them and the newfound friendship they had rediscovered.

_Maybe in my next life, Woo Jin thought, I’ll be a detective too._

Fin.


End file.
